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NY Knicks: 3 goals Thibodeau should set for Mitchell Robinson

By Vivek Dadhania

Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Memphis Grizzlies In action against Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Memphis Grizzlies In action against Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Improve Mitchell Robinson’s post-up defense

For Mitchell Robinson to take the next step as an All-NBA Defender, he needs to transition from just a shot blocker to a defensive anchor. One area for improvement is his 1v1 post defense.

Contrary to public perception, the post-up offense is still an integral aspect in a basketball player’s repertoire. All of the elite big men – from Joel Embiid, Karl Anthony Towns, and Nikola Jokic, to name a few – utilize an excellent post up game to not only score, but to create easier opportunities for their teammates to score. The key tenets to being an excellent post-up defender include lower body strength, proper positioning, and deft footwork.

During the 2019-20 season, opposing players didn’t frequently target Mitch in the post-up, but he (Mitch) wasn’t quite effective defending the position. Mitch allowed opponents to shoot 44.1% from the post, which probably doesn’t seem all too high. However, Anthony Davis only allows opponents to shoot 18.2% from the post. Factoring out superstars, Mitch’s opposing FG% looks embarrassingly high compared to guys like DeAndre Jordan (22.2%), Mo Bamba (27.8%), Ivica Zubac (28.2%), and Davis Bertans (35.5%). To add insult to injury, both Kevin Knox and Julius Randle have a lower opposing FG% in the post than Mitch.

In conjunction with his high foul rate, Mitch’s FT Frequency Rate of 35% – the percentage of plays that a player shoots free throws because of a foul – is effectively the worst amongst all qualifying big men. Likewise, Karl-Anthony Towns allows opponents to shoot 42.1% from the post, but his FT Frequency Rate is 14%.

Surely, opposing teams will target Mitch in the post as he receives more minutes. It will be up to Thibs to help Mitch improve his footwork and positioning to reduce the effectiveness of post-up plays. The Knicks are one of the worst teams in the league in fouls and opposing FT attempts. Mitch’s improvement in the post will go a long way in improving the team’s interior defense. Thibs’ experience coaching both Joakim Noah & Taj Gibson will come handy here.

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